Proposed snow dump raises environmental concerns for Boston Harbor

These days it really seems that all everyone talks or thinks about is the insane amount of snow that Boston has received so far this winter. And you can’t blame them, as the snow has become an all-consuming monstrosity, taking a toll on all activities, classes and work. 

Here in the Boston area, things have become so desperate that we have now reached the point where Mayor Marty Walsh is considering dumping snow into the Boston Harbor as a matter of public safety. There have been predictions of serious damages due to the snow that range far beyond annoyances, and include roofs collapsing and the drain on governmental funds, as clean up efforts have cost millions of dollars, not to mention the impact that white-out days have on small businesses.

Yet dumping snow in the harbor will have numerous environmental implications. Specifically, there are concerns that debris and salts from the snow may increase harbor pollution. Thus, it has become an issue of short-term public safety versus the long term effects on the environment. 

Understandably, when there is an immediate danger to the public, hard decisions must be made, and under these circumstances, a snow dump may be the best solution.

Almost every media outlet (including The Tufts Daily) has written volumes about this season's “record breaking snow fall” and the various impending storms. Just strolling around campus, one is surrounded by piles and piles of snow, many of which are taller than the average student and most of which range from a pristine white to a dull, drab, dirty grey. And no matter how much shoveling is done, a layer of snow still perpetually covers every sidewalk and street, adding an extra five to ten minutes to one's routine walk to class, not to mention congesting streets for drivers. And of course, there is the general disruption it has caused with classes being cancelled and the MBTA out of service. Sometimes it’s baffling that the pretty white snowflakes that so gently fall from the clouds can so suddenly accumulate, paralyzing one of America’s biggest cities. This is not to mention the flooding that will happen upon the melting of this white sleeping giant.

Thus, with the inches of snow accumulation still rising, and a dearth of other solutions from which to choose, drastic options such as relocating the snow to the water seem to be widely accepted. Notably, environmental officials have not met the idea of dumping snow into a body of water with much resistance. In fact, many, including representatives for the nonprofit organization Save the Harbor, have actually condoned it in light of public safety. Other experts have said that the Boston Harbor gets enough pollution year round so that this snow, which will also be removed of debris, will not have a significant impact.

But still, this response raises two concerns for the student body to consider. The first is the dilemma of putting public safety emergencies above long-term protection, and the second is our general environmental consciousness. It is clear that these snowstorms that have ravaged the Boston area can be classified as a crisis, so naturally we tend to look to our leadership for authority and security during this time. Because of this crisis mentality, environmental officials may be reluctant to cause more panic and confusion by criticizing government decisions in the name of public safety. Even though dumping snow into the harbor may be the practical, and even the best decision, it is still important to have critiques and resistance during times of shock and crisis.

Often, the public and the media are only concerned with the environment in light of a large impending event or decision, such as the snow dumping. The media never seems to acknowledge the fact that every day salts and debris, among other things, are contaminating the Boston Harbor. But it shouldn’t take a crisis for us to worry about the environment; rather, it should be a matter of constant concern.